Valve for inflatable pessaries and the like



Nov. 6, 1956 G. STUBBS 2,769,44

VALVE FOR INFLATABLE PESSARIES AND THE LIKE Filed May 27, 1955 mmvrozz.

BY 422W a 5% United States Patent VALVE FOR INFLATABLE PESSARIES AND THELIKE George Stubbs, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 27, 1955, Serial No. 511,592

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-127) This invention relates to inflatable pessaries,and particularly to valves therefor which enable the pessary to beinflated While in position and which will retain or confine air in thepessary effectively after the pessary has been inflated.

Heretofore, inflatable pessaries have been developed for supporting theuterus in situations of prolapsus-uteri. In essence, these pessariesconsist of flexible thin Walled rubber rings equipped with various meansfor inflating them when the pessaries have been positioned in the vaginabeneath the uterus. An object of the present invention is to provide animproved pessary of this type consisting of an inflatable, flexible,thin-walled rubber ring which can be positioned in the vagina while in adeflated and highly collapsed condition and to provide a novel stem andvalve therefor which will facilitate the inflation of the pessary whilein position and the entrapment 0r confinement of air therein.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the pessary embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same, parts being broken awayand shown in vertical section, and illustrating the manner in which thepessary may be inflated; and v Fig. 3 is a sectional view through thepessary, the valve having been shifted to a position wherein it willentrap or confine the air in the pessary.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the pessary illustratedconsists of a flexible thin-walled rubber ring across the center ofwhich there may be a thin apertured web 11. This ring is hollow and isadapted to be inflated through a rubber stem 12 that is connected to thering, as at 13, so as to be in communication with its interior.

The stem 12 is in the form of a narrow rubber tube, having a closedouter end 14 adjacent which there is a laterally directed inlet 15.Within the stem there is disposed a ball 16 whose diameter is slightlygreater than the internal normal diameter of the stem 12. The diameterof the ball is also slightly greater than the normal internal diameterof the lateral inlet 15.

By the above-described construction, due to the thin highly flexiblewalls of the ring 10, the pessary may be inserted in the vagina in adeflated and highly collapsed condition. The stem 12 is allowed toextend from the vagina exposing the inlet 15. In this inlet there may beinserted the nipple 17 of a pneumatic syringe or air bulb 18, which onbeing squeezed will force air through the 2,769,442 Patented Nov. 6,1956 nipple 17 and through the stem 12 into the ring 10, to inflate it.This is accomplished while the ball 16 is disposed within the closed endof the stem. When the ring 10 has been inflated the end of the stem 12is pinched, such as between the thumb and forefinger to squeeze the balland cause it to slide from the closed end 14 across the entrance 15 andinto the position shown in Fig. 3. When the ball occupies this position,it is frictionally retained therein due to the fact that the diameter ofthe ball is slightly greater than the internal diameter of the stem. Thenipple 17 of the pneumatic syringe or air bulb can then be withdrawnfrom the inlet and the air Within the ring 10 will be effectivelyconfined therein. When it is desired to deflate the pessary this isaccomplished by merely squeezing the stem 12 ahead of the ball and thuscausing the ball to slide back across the lateral inlet 15 and into theclosed end 14 of the stern. Air within the ring 10 can then readilyescape through the stem 12 and inlet 15.

It will be appreciated that the above-described construction provides ameans by which the pess-ary may be easily and quickly inflated when ithas been positioned and that after the pessary has been inflated thestem 12 can be effectively closed by merely squeezing on the end of thestem so as to force the ball 16 into a position within the stem that isahead of the inlet 15.

Although it is possible to force the ball 16 through the inlet 15 andinto the stem in the course of manufacture, the normal size of the inlet15 is such that the ball can not readily pass therethrough.Consequently, the ball may be regarded as being permanently associatedwith the stem so that it cannot become lost. While the invention hasbeen described as being applicable to inflatable pessaries, it will beappreciated that it is equally applicable to other inflatable articleswherein it is desired to inflate them and retain the air therein.

Various changes may be made in the details of con struction withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

-I claim:

1. An inflatable pessary comprising a hollow, flexible rubber ringhaving a tubular stem connected thereto and communicating therewith,said stem having a closed end adjacent which there is a laterallyextending inlet, and a ball in the closed end when the pessary is beinginflated and frictionally fitting the interior of the stem, said ballbeing adapted to be forced through the stem across the inlet to occupy aposition behind the inlet to retain the pessary inflated after it hasbeen filled.

2. An inflatable article having a tubular rubber stem connected theretoand in communication with the interior of the article, said stem havinga closed end adjacent which there is a laterally extending inlet, and aball adapted to occupy the closed end of the stern on one side of theinlet to enable the article to be inflated through the inlet, said ballbeing capable of being forced across the entrance to the inlet and tooccupy a firictionally held position in the stem on the other side ofthe inlet so as to retain the article in inflated condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 55,733Stealy June 19, 1866 109,401 Faulkner Nov. 22, 1870 FOREIGN PATENTS897,567 France May 30, 1944

